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RTD recently launched a "Call to the People" directly to
the general public asking for input on when and if the
RTD Board should consider putting a
sales tax
increase ballot measure to fund the
budget deficit at FasTracks in the hands of the people.
Over the past several months RTD staff has analyzed
various factors, two polls have been conducted by
outside groups, stakeholder group presentations have
been held, and key stakeholders have provided RTD with
input. Citizens were encouraged to view an educational
video message about FasTracks on the RTD website, and
then weigh in on when they want RTD to seek a sales tax
election - in 2011, in the future or not al all.
Hundreds viewed the video message and thousands have
responded to the survey.
The input compiled through these methods is not
statistically valid, but designed as an informal
response mechanism for the general public. The final
results of this process will be communicated to the RTD
Board of Directors on April 26 along with the other
research being compiled, which includes economic
factors, feedback from political consultants, and
likelihood of generating the funds necessary to conduct
a successful campaign. All layers of information are
intended to provide the RTD Board with as much
information as possible so that they can make a fully
informed decision.
Perhaps the most important component of FasTracks is at
Union Station where the light rail,
commuter rail, 16th Street Mall Shuttle,
busses and other transportation modes will converge.
Later this summer the light rail stop and mall shuttle
stop at Union Station will be relocated to the west end
of the regional bus facility under construction and the
West Corridor of the new light rail system under
construction along West 6th Avenue will start
service in 2013.
Land around Union Station is being sold to the master
developer, Union Station Neighborhood Company (USNC)
with development of mixed use office buildings to be
occupied by AMI, Davita (on a non-USNC site) and others
underway. And the design of plazas and other public
facilities is being approved with substantial input from
the public. But the eventual use of the historic Union
Station building has not yet been determined. RTD has
started a request for qualifications (RFQ) and request
for proposals (RFP) process which will result in
selection of a development team for the station in early
2012. RTD has consulted with stakeholders and industry
experts to determine the redevelopment process.
Amtrak operations have been temporarily relocated to a
nearby building and will return in conjunction with any
redevelopment. USNC recently released its preliminary
proposal for the building to include restaurants and a
public market on the main level and offices on upper
levels. Another team composed of Sage Hospitality and
developer Dana Crawford proposes retail and restaurant
space on the main level and some 100 hotel rooms on
upper levels, operated in conjunction with the nearby
Oxford Hotel. Walking tours of Union Station are
available from May 19 through September on alternating
Thursdays at 4;30 PM. More at:
http://www.denverunionstation.org/
http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/dus_1
The
Hilton
Garden Inn at 1400 Welton Street in
downtown Denver has been exchanged between buyer Apple
Ten Hospitality Ownership Inc. and seller Stonebridge
Cos. for $58.5 million or $265,000/room. The property
totals 221 rooms.
Denver Pavilions
announce that the downtown shopping center will add one
of today's hottest international retail brands,
H&M.
H&M will open its first store in Colorado at the Denver
Pavilions located in the downtown Denver on the 16th
Street Mall. The highly anticipated store is scheduled
to open in late 2011. The new store will be one of
H&M's full concept stores offering fashionable clothing
for men, women, teens and children, as well as lingerie,
denim, and accessories. H&M has approximately 2,200
stores around the world. "Securing H&M is a huge win
for Downtown Denver," stated Tamara Door, President &
CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership. "The first H&M
in Colorado will naturally become a destination store,
increasing the number of visitors to downtown, and
serving as a catalyst for exciting new retail to open in
the area. It is a wonderful foreshadowing of what is to
come."
The former location for the technical services division
of Xcel Energy has been purchased for $9.4 million by
Stonebridge Cos. Totaling 236,000 SF at
550 15th
Street in Denver, the purchase equates
to $40/SF.
Construction was begun in March at
Metropolitan State College on a new
Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center.
To include a new SpringHill Suites hotel by Marriott the
facility at the corner of Auraria Parkway and Speer
Boulevard will include 150 rooms, academic space of
28,000 SF and meeting/conference space of 5,000 SF. The
$45 million project is scheduled to open in 2012. The
HLC will offer a fully functioning flagged hotel run by
Sage Hospitality, and will provide hands-on training for
600 students in Metro State's Hospitality, Tourism and
Events Department. The HLC will be one of 12 teaching
hotels on a college campus in the country. 100% of the
hotel's profits will go back to the College for
scholarships and academic programming. A $65 million
Student Success Building also started construction in
December on the campus to add an estimated 145,000 SF of
space for classrooms and faculty offices with a
scheduled opening in 2012.
A
new apartment complex totaling 213 units
is to be completed near the University of Denver in the
spring of 2013. Spearheaded by developer David Elowe of
Urban West, the 11-story $56 million building at the SEC
of South University Boulevard and East Evans will also
host 25,000 SF of ground floor restaurant and retail
space and provide 357 parking spaces. The project is
intended to appeal to professors and young
professionals.
The Urban Land Institute has chosen the Denver
neighborhood of
Riverfront
Park in the Central Platte Valley to be
among 20 finalists to contend for their 2011 Award of
Excellence in the Americas. To be announced at their
spring meeting in Phoenix, the neighborhood was chosen
due to its revitalization of a former rail yard with
parks, 1,400 residential units and 62,000 SF of retail
space.
A new developer has been gained for the former
CU
Health-Sciences campus at East Ninth
Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Approved by the
University of Colorado Board of Regents, Sembler Atlanta
is to purchase the property early next year for $34.8
million. Jeffrey Fuqua, a Colorado native who is
president of Atlanta-based Sembler, states that the
company will meet with local residents to get an
understanding of the market before they close on the
property, and anticipates that it will be redeveloped
with a mix of residential and retail uses. The
inability of Shea Properties to fulfill its contractual
obligations for the development of the former site of
the hospital campus for the University of Colorado
forced the University to seek a new developer.
Denver Parks and Recreation is raising funds to support
the renovation of
Sundial
Plaza at Cranmer Park. As the campaign
progresses Denver Parks and Recreation will be seeking
funds from the local foundation community in addition to
corporate and community support. The total funding need
for the Sundial Plaza project is $1.3 million. The
proposed construction project includes reconstructing
the Terrazzo Panorama, repairing the Sundial and
adjacent stones and rebuilding the Plaza. To date DPR
has secured $450,000 from City funds and $45,000 from
the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs. Denver City
Council Member Marcia Johnson announced that a Community
Celebration will be held at Cranmer Park on Saturday,
May 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. highlighting the
architectural significance and beauty of the park at 2nd
Avenue and Cherry Street. This free event is open to
the public. More at 720-913-0656 or:
http://www.denvergov.org/parksandrecreation/Home/NewsReleases/tabid/435937/newsid488211/4535/Celebrate-Summer-at-Cranmer-Park--May-7-2011/Default.aspx
http://denverhilltop.com/?p=416
The
Buckley
Annex at Lowry will be vacated by the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service of the US
Government in September 2011. The 604,000 SF Accounting
Center has over 200,000 SF in each of 3 stories on a 72
acre site with 16.5 acres of surface parking adjacent to
the building. Although its infrastructure is 30 years
old, it was built with "force protection capability" to
withstand outside security threats, 30 foot bays and
large floor to floor heights. Title will be transferred
to the Lowry Redevelopment Authority or the entire site
could be sold to a developer under the 2007 Buckley
Annex Redevelopment Plan. Reportedly no developer has
put forth a proposal for the re-use of either the
building or the site. More at:
http://www.denvergov.org/CouncilDistrict5/ProjectsinDistrict5/BuckleyAnnex/tabid/427330/Default.aspx
Denver City Council Member Peggy Lehman announced a
neighborhood meeting with the owner/developer of the
Tamarac Square specialty shopping center
at Hampden Avenue/Tamarac Drive. Developers Diversified
Realty will present a proposed redevelopment at the
center on May 5th at 6:00 PM.
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